Piano-bench



L. M. AD'LER.

PIANO BENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY ll, I92].

..j1,401,027, Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

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L. M. ADLER.

PIANO BENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1921.

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UNiTEfi STATES LOUIS M. ADLER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PIANO-BENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

l Application filed July 11, 1921. Serial No. 483,839.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS M. ADLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Benches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in piano benches and has for an objectto provide a convertible bench for use as a piano bench when manipulating the keys of a non-automatic piano and also for use in connection with the operation of player pianos.

It is well known to those familiar with this art that the operation of player pianos, which requires the depressing of treadles by the feet, is best carried on when the operator is'seated upon a bench having a forward inclination; on the other hand a straight horizontal seat is best adapted for the performer upon a non-automatic instrument.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a bench having a seat adapted to rest either in a substantially horizontal position or capable of being tilted at a desir able angular position to throw the body of the operator upon an automatic piano forwardly; and other objects of the invention are to provide this adjustable seat in conjunction with a compartment in the bench for sheet music, of which the seat forms a top, and to provide the parts necessary to the carrying out of the adjustment of the seat in a simple and compact arrangement susceptible of being readily operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved piano bench constructed according to the present invention Fig. 2 is an elevation of the bench with a portion broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a top plan View with a portion broken away; t

Fig. 5 is a large fragmentary sectional View showing the parts in one position with the seat resting horizontally;

Fig. 6 is a similar view with the parts in a subsequent position for holding the seat at an inclination;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing the seat held elevated; and

Fig.8 is a perspective view of a guide.

Referring more particularly to the drawmgs, the improved bench involves a supporting structure composed of corner legs 1 and suitable braces 2and 3 at the lower portions of the legs and of side rails 4 and front and rear rails 5 and 6 respectively connected between the upper portions of the legs.

The various rails are adapte d'to form an inclosure or compartment at the upper portion of the bench which is equipped with a bottom 7 suitably supported by the legs or the rails or both. The compartment thus formed is useful for receiving and holding sheet music or the like.

A seat 8 is positioned upon the body of the bench and forms a closure for the compartment. Hinges 9 are'secured to the forward edge of the seat Sand to the front rail 5 to permit of the swinging of the seat 8 upwardly to give access to the compartment and also to permit of the seat assuming an inclined position as shown in Fig. 7. Brackets 10 are secured beneath the seat 8, such brackets being preferably two in number and situated close to the side rails 4 in order not to interfere with the containing space of the compartment. Such brackets 10 are provided with feet 11 at their rear portions having knobs 12 which normally rest upon the bottom 7 when the seat 8 is in a horizontal position for instance as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The feet 11 lie just beyond the opposite ends of a guide which is of an angled construction and preferably composed of sheet metal. This guide is formed with horizontal and vertical adjacent walls 13 and 14 respectively having right angularly turned flanges 15 and 16 adapted to rest against the rear rail 6 and the bottom 7 and being provided with perforations 17 to receive screws or other fastenings by which the guide is secured rigidly in place at the rear portion of the compartment.

As best seen in Fig. 7, the walls .13 and 14C of the guide cooperate with inclosed faces of the rear rail 6 and bottom 7 to provide arectangular inclosure in which two reciprocating bolts 18 and 19 are mounted. The bolts are provided with recesses 20 in one of their ends in which coil springs 21 are introduced, removable blocks 22 being provided in the inner ends of the bolts for the purpose of introducing and removing the springs.

Slots 23 are made in the sides of'the bolts near their inner ends to permit of the passage therethrough of bolts 24 which engage with'the rear rail 6 and the vertical wall 14 r of the guide asshown in Fig. 7. The bolts '24- also form abutments for the inner ends of the bolts :18 and 19 and are so situated that they may be squeezed together by one hand in the act of'retracting the bolts. The feet 11 will hold thebolts retracted when in their lowered positions. A slot 26 is made in the bottom 7 to admit of the projection of the triggers 25 therethrough.

, Domes or pads 27 are also provided upon therear portion of the seat 8 to engage the upperedge of the rear rail 6T This avoids marring of the surface and assists the legs 11 to support the rear portion of the seat.

In operation, the seat 8 may be made to assume a substantially horizontal position by retracting thebolts and allowing the feet 11 to rest directly upon the bottom 7 of the compartment. .ltiheet music or other .adjuncts may be kept in the compartment and inserted and removed by lifting theseat 8 by the hinges 9. The seat8 is also readily put in position for operating a player piano by simply lifting the same a distance sulficient for the feet 11 to clear the bolts 18 and 19, which will under these circumstances be projected by their coil springs. Upon the subsequentletting down of the seat'8,.the feet will encounter and rest upon the projecting ends of the bolts and allow the benchto rest in the inclined position shown .in Figs. 6 and 7. The seat will thus afford the necessary purchase for the body of the operator when pushing upon the pedals of the automatic instrument. It involves only the simple operation ofisqueezing theitriggers 25 together to enabletheseat 8 to be let down to such changes and modifications being re stricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A piano bench comprising a supporting structure including a compartment open at its top, legs for sustainingthe compartment, a seat hinged at its forward portion above the compartment, brackets attached to the under side of the seat and extending within the compartment at its sides, said brackets having feet on their rear ends adapted to en gage the bottom of the compartment, a guide secured along the rear portion ofthe compartment between the feet, reciprocating bolts in the guide, springs for projecting the bolts, and triggers extending on the exterior of thecompartment for drawing the bolts together, substantially as described.

2. A piano bench comprising a supporting structure, a seat pivoted thereon at 1tsforward-edge, supporting feet at the rear poradapted to hold the seat normally in a substantially horizontal position, means within the compartment normally in a potential condition and automatically projected when the seat is raised about its pivotal center to hold the seat in 'such'raised position, and other meansassociated with said first named means and being located together for simulhaving a compartment in its upper portion.

a seat for the bench forming .a top for the compartment and being hinged. to the supporting structure along one edge, brackets carried at the side portions of the seat and projecting downwardly into the compartment, said brackets havingfeeton their front portions adapted .to normally rest against the bottom of the compartment, a guide element extending longitudinally of the bench within the forward lower portion of the 'compartment and having its ends terminating short of said feet, spring-pressed reciprocating bolts fitted in opposite portions of said guide element normally With their springs retracted but adapted to be projected into the path of said feet and to sustain the feet and hold the seat at an inclination, and triggers connected to said bolts at their adjacent ends and being situated together for simultaneous squeezing whereby to cause Withdrawal of 10 the bolts inwardly Within the guide elements and out of the paths of said feet, substantially as described.

LOUIS M. ADLER. 

